Michelle's Journey
by blossom2013
Summary: Michelle has a brain tumor and the Tanners are in a fight to save her life. Rated T for language and subject matter that may not be suitable for younger audiences.
1. Chapter 1

**Michelle's Journey**

_**by Laney M.**_

Chapter 1

- _July 24, 1995, Afternoon -_

The Tanner family was at the park. Joey, Michelle, and her friends Teddy, Aaron, Lisa, and Derek decided they wanted to play a game of tag.

"Not it!" Aaron shouted.

"Not it!" Teddy, Lisa, Derek, and Joey agreed.

"Ok, you're it, Michelle!" Joey said. "Ready? 1-2-3 Go!" They ran around in all different directions as Michelle began chasing after them. She soon caught up with Derek and was about to tag him when she began to feel off balance. As she reached her arms out to him, her legs gave out and she fell to the ground.

"Michelle! Are you alright?" Derek asked, his voice filled with deep concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks Derek."

"Michelle! Michelle!" The others called out as they ran towards her.

"I'm ok, guys. Lets keep playing!" Everyone scattered in different directions again and Michelle chased them. She finally managed to catch Joey. "Got ya, Joey! Now, you're it!" She said, giggling as she ran away.

They played and played some more until they heard Danny's voice calling towards them.

"Guys, time to go!" They met up with Danny and the rest of the family, dropped off Michelle's friends, and walked home.

* * *

_- Evening -_

"Michelle, dinner!" Jesse called, knocking on the door of the bedroom Michelle shared with her sister Stephanie.

"Ok, Uncle Jesse." She replied. She followed her uncle into the kitchen and took her seat. She grabbed a slice of extra cheese pizza and a few chicken wings and got up to get something to drink. She started to feel off balance again and everyone watched in horror as she stumbled, but she grabbed onto the counter just in time.

"Whoa! What just happened?" Danny asked her, helping her back to her chair.

"It's nothing, Daddy. I just fell." She told him.

"You've been falling an awful lot today, Michelle." D.J pointed out.

"Maybe I'm just tired. Daddy, may I please be excused?"

"Sure, Sweetheart." He hugged her and she walked back up to her room and flopped down on her bed. Comet jumped up and laid next to her and they fell asleep.

* * *

- _July 25th, Morning_-

Michelle's head was pounding. It was the worst pain she had ever felt in the eight, almost nine years she'd been on the Earth. She massaged it, hoping it would bring her relief, but it didn't help and she went downstairs to the living room to find some Children's Tylenol.

"Good morning, Michelle." Rebecca greeted.

"Morning, Aunt Becky." Rebecca noticed her niece holding her hands on her head and moved the folder containing her notes for Wake Up San Francisco, then motioned for her to sit down. "Aunt Becky, do we have some Tylenol? My head hurts."

"I think so. Let me check." Michelle laid down on the couch and waited while her aunt searched for the bottle of medication.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Danny stood by the stove, stirring a large bowl of pancake batter and pouring some of it onto a stove top griddle.

"Danny, do we have any more Children's Tylenol left? Michelle said she has a headache." The color drained from Danny's face.

"Uh...yeah...in the medicine cabinet in my bathroom."

He rushed into the living room and sat with Michelle, not realizing that he left the griddle on, burning the pancakes.

Danny saw his little girl laying on the couch. Danny thought back to when Michelle was in the hospital after her accident a few months ago when she fell off her horse.

As Rebecca came back to the kitchen she saw the stove on and turned it off. She scraped the burnt batter off the griddle, then placed the unused batter in the fridge to be cooked later.

"You left the stove on." Rebecca reminded him as she came back into the living room and put the Tylenol bottle in his hand.

"Oh crap!" Danny exclaimed and jumped out of his seat to clean up the mess.

"Danny it's okay. I cleaned up."

"Thanks Becky." He replied as he went into the kitchen and filled a glass with water, then returned to the living room and handed it to his daughter, along with two of the pills. Michelle took the pills with a few sips of water and after giving her father and Aunt Becky a kiss, she went back upstairs to rest.

- Afternoon -

D.J and Stephanie were preparing a lunch of turkey sandwiches, salad, and tomato soup. Danny and Rebecca were at work after going in late, but would be home at any time now, Jesse was practicing with the other members of Hot Daddy and the Monkey Puppets in his studio, and Joey was rehearsing in his room for an upcoming comedy gig while Michelle and the twins Nicky and Alex were taking a nap.

Stephanie finished setting the table and D.J took the steaming pot of soup off the stove.

"Stephanie, go tell everyone lunch is ready, ok?" D.J instructed.

"No problem." Stephanie rounded up Jesse, Joey, and the twins, but as she went to wake Michelle, nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.

She screamed as she saw Michelle jerking and shaking violently on her bed. Jesse and Joey heard the commotion and ran into the room and their hearts raced as they rushed to Michelle's side.

"Call 911, Steph!" Joey ordered. Stephanie did as she was told and within a few minutes, paramedics arrived and tried the best they could to stabilize her. They carried her to the ambulance and Jesse rode with her to the hospital while Joey and the rest of the family followed behind, calling Danny and Rebecca on the way there.

At the hospital, the E.R team paged the doctor on call, who rushed into Michelle's room. He filled a syringe with more medications and injected it into the I.V bag. Gradually, the seizures stopped and he ordered an MRI.

As Michelle was getting ready to be taken for the scan, Danny and Rebecca arrived. Danny ran to Michelle and whispered some things in her ear and held her hands. A nurse reassured him that the doctor would do his best to save her and Danny said his good-byes before she was taken away.

Later that afternoon, the results of the MRI were in. The doctor gulped as he took a hard look at the scans of Michelle's brain. Something strange caught his eye.

"Mr. Tanner?" He called as he stepped into the waiting room with the scans in his hands. The family sat there, anxiously waiting for what he had to say.

"Yeah, that's me." Danny replied. "What's wrong with my daughter?"

"Unfortunately, the news isn't good. She has a tumor in her brain stem the size of a golf ball."

"Will she make it?" Jesse asked, his voice breaking as he wiped the tears from his eyes with a handkerchief.

"I cannot answer that for sure, but most patients with her type of cancer survive less than a year."

"What about treatment?" Stephanie questioned.

"Because of the location of the tumor, surgery isn't an option, but with radiation and chemotherapy, it could buy her some time. I'm very sorry."

When the doctor left, everyone gathered together in a group hug and they sobbed and cried. At less than four years old, the twins were still too young to understand the situation, but they said, "We love you" as they joined in on the hugs.

_- Evening -_

Danny sat at Michelle's bedside in the Intensive Care Unit. She was improving now, though still sleeping until the effects of the anti-seizure drugs wore off.

"Michelle, stay strong, baby. We aren't ready for you to go yet, okay? Please hang in there!" He held her hand as tears fell down his cheeks, hitting the bed sheets.

_- July 26, Morning -_

Michelle's eyes fluttered open and she took a look around the room. Where was she? How did she get here? She glanced down at her right arm and noticed the I.V.

"Daddy!" She screamed out.

"I'm here, Sweetheart. It's okay." Danny hugged her, running his fingers over her back to comfort her.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital. The doctors and nurses are taking very good care of you."

"What am I doing here? I want to go home!" A lump formed in Danny's throat as he struggled to come up with an explanation for her.

"Sweetie, you're very sick." He finally said, his voice breaking.

"But I don't feel sick right now. How can that be?"

"I know, but sometimes things don't appear the way they really are."

"Daddy, just tell me!"

"The doctor took some pictures of your brain when you first got here and it doesn't look good."

"What's wrong with my brain?"

"You have a tumor." Michelle cried and Danny handed her a Kleenex to dry the tears.

"Am I going to die?" Danny agonized on whether or not to tell his youngest daughter that this tumor would eventually take her life.

"Honey, we are going to fight this, okay? There are medicines out there that makes tumors shrink or go away. It's up to you if you want to try them though. I won't force you."

"I'll give them a shot. This tumor's going to turn into dust!"

"It sure is!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Michelle's Journey**

Chapter 2

_- July 28, Morning -_

Three days passed since Michelle's diagnosis and she had just taken her first dose of chemotherapy as well as a steroid to reduce the swelling caused by the tumor. So far, she was tolerating the pills well and Danny finally breathed a sigh of relief. Michelle was feeling better and more energetic and the doctor had given her permission to go to the playroom. She jumped up excitedly at this news.

"Daddy, Daddy! Can you take me to the playroom? Please!" She begged.

"Sure." He replied with a chuckle. They got on the elevator and took it down to the next floor where the playroom was located. Michelle's eyes grew wide as she saw the large quantity of toys and craft stuff and sat down at a table with two other little girls. One had green eyes and patches of red hair on her otherwise bald head. Michelle guessed that she was about six years old. The other girl was around Michelle's age and had hazel eyes and sandy blond hair.

"Hi, My name is Michelle. What's yours?" Michelle greeted.

"My name is Jade." The green eyed girl answered shyly.

"I'm Emily." The other girl added. Danny watched as Michelle, Jade, and Emily talked and shared their toys.

As the three girls got to know each other, Michelle learned that Jade had Acute Myeloid Leukemia and spent most of her life in and out of the hospital and her cancer, which had been in remission for almost a year, returned again, while Emily had the same tumor as Michelle and had been diagnosed a few months ago. Michelle's heart filled up with pain and sadness for her new friends.

_'Stupid cancer!'_ She thought.

Meanwhile, Danny was so focused on watching his daughter play that he didn't notice at first when a young light brown haired, green eyed woman in her mid-thirties said something to him.

"Excuse me? Danny Tanner?" She asked as she tapped his shoulder, causing him to jump slightly.

"Huh?"

"You're Danny Tanner of Wake Up, San Francisco, aren't you?" Another woman asked.

"Yes, I am."

"We love your show. We watch it every morning." The brunette complemented.

"Thank you. I'm very glad to hear that, Ms..." He started, not knowing her name.

"I'm Susan. Susan Crawford."

"I'm Mary Richardson." The other woman, who appeared to be in her late twenties and had red hair with blue eyes, added as she shook Danny's hand.

"Nice to meet you both, Ladies. Are those your daughters over there?" He pointed to Emily and Jade who were helping Michelle put jigsaw puzzles together.

"Yes, Jade is mine. She is six and a half." Mary replied, smiling as she glanced over at the girls.

"Emily is my little girl. She's eight." Susan said. "How old is yours?"

"Michelle will be nine in November."

Danny, Susan, and Mary talked about their children and the girls played some more until Michelle came over, looking a bit tired.

"Daddy, can we go back to my room now?"

"Yeah, sure. Go tell your friends you'll see them another time."

"Okay." Michelle grinned and said her good-byes to Emily and Jade, then she and her father returned to her room to take a nap.

* * *

_- July 28, Afternoon -_

Michelle sat up nervously in her bed, coloring pictures for her friends while waiting to go to her radiology appointment.

"Those look amazing, Honey." Danny complemented as his youngest daughter finished her masterpieces.

"Thanks Dad. Umm...Why did Jade and Emily have to get sick too? They're just little kids."

"Because that's how life works sometimes. Did you know that we all have cancer cells in our bodies?" She shook her head no and he continued to explain. "Well, most of us have strong enough immune systems to attack them and keep us healthy, but Jade and Emily's immune systems are weaker so they weren't able to fight them off as well so the cancer cells continue to multiply."

"Oh. Are they going to get better?"

"I don't know, Sweetie. But their doctors are trying everything they can to make them better, just like your doctor is doing for you."

"Michelle Tanner?" A blond haired, hazel eyed nurse in pink scrubs called out as she knocked on the door and entered the room. Michelle nodded apprehensively as she looked up at the nurse's name tag, which read '_Angela'_ , a last name she couldn't pronounce, and her job title _'Radiology Nurse'._

"Hi Michelle." Angela greeted warmly and the eight year old waved a shy 'hello'.

Angela talked to Michelle and Danny and explained the radiation treatments in details that both would understand and escorted them to the Radiology department.

"Here, put these on." Angela instructed, handing them lead aprons to protect their bodies from the radiation when they reached the room.

Michelle's eyes wandered around, finally focusing on a huge machine with a table sticking out of it. She clung to Danny, terrified and wanting to leave.

"Michelle, it's okay. This isn't gonna hurt." Danny said, trying to reassure her.

"It's not?"

"Nope."

"Mr. Tanner, if it helps Michelle feel more comfortable, you're welcome to stay."

"I think that's a good idea."

"I think so too." Michelle chimed in. Angela showed her a therapy doll and put it on the table to demonstrate. She let Michelle pretend to be a nurse too, which she thought was very cool.

"What do you think, Michelle? You think you can do this the next time you come in here?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I think I can manage. Thanks Angela."

"My pleasure." Angela took them back to their room, stating that she'd see them on Monday, and went to see her next patient.

* * *

_-July 28, Evening -_

Michelle flipped through the channels, mildly frustrated to find that there were no cartoons or children's movies on. Sighing, she kept flipping until she found VH1. She was so focused on the music videos that she didn't notice at first when someone knocked on the door.

"Hey Munchkin!" A voice called to her, breaking her concentration. She looked up to see that her family had come to visit, besides Rebecca who stayed home with Nicky and Alex because they had a cold and she and Jesse agreed that it was best not to take them.

"Hi guys!" She smiled with delight as they walked towards her and showered her with hugs and kisses.

"Hey Michelle." Joey greeted in Bullwinkle's voice, his hands on the top of his head like antlers. Then his voice returned to normal as he said, "Glad to see you again."

"How are ya feelin', kiddo? Look what I brought ya." Jesse said as he opened a red tote bag and pulled out two medium-sized storage containers, one containing pasta mixed with a creamy alfredo sauce, chicken, and broccoli florets, and in the other container, a slice of double chocolate fudge cake with Oreo cookies.

"I'm much better. Thanks for the food. If I have to eat another hospital meal, I'm gonna go nuts!" Michelle opened the containers and happily began devouring her dinner.

"You're welcome, Michelle. Glad you're doing better." Stephanie replied, placing a hand on her little sister's back.

"Yeah, I'm glad too." D.J added with a smile. "Where's Dad?"

"Right here!" Danny replied, as he came out of the bathroom, drying his hands and tossing the paper towel into the nearest garbage can. He hugged everyone before sitting back in his chair.

The family enjoyed each others' company, talking and playing a few card games until visiting hours were over. They said their goodbyes to Michelle, then Joey, D.J, and Stephanie stepped out in the hallway. Only Jesse remained, deeply concerned for his brother-in-law's health and well-being.

"Daniel, don't take it the wrong way, but you look like crap." Jesse pointed out bluntly.

"Thanks for noticing." Danny acknowledged. His hair and clothing were unkempt, and bags had formed under his eyes from a lack of sleep.

"Why don't you go home and get some rest? I'll stay here with Michelle tonight."

"Are you sure, Jess?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Michelle, Uncle Jesse's gonna stay with you. Is that alright?"

"Yes, Daddy. I'll be fine. You need your rest."

"Goodnight, my little princess." Danny said, giving her one last hug and kiss for the night and he tucked her into bed. He and Jesse sang '_Teddy Bear' _by Elvis Presley as they had done since she was an infant and she fell asleep.

Danny and the others left soon after and Jesse decided it was time for him to turn in for the night as well. He clicked off the TV, then he unfolded the roll-away bed and laid down, shifting around until he found a comfortable position and nodded off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Michelle's Journey**

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

It had been a week since Michelle's diagnosis. The steroid medication and chemotherapy drugs she was on made a sizable difference health-wise, although there would be negative effects to come. But the positive changes were welcoming.

'I actually feel pretty good. Maybe they will let me go home soon,' thought the blonde little girl. She had just been brought a tray of breakfast. It consisted of stale toast, runny eggs and watery orange juice. She looked at it and made a face. 'This is so yucky…can't wait till I could go home.'

Just then, Danny entered the room. Michelle gave him a small smile. 'Hmm…I feel like eating pancakes...maybe Daddy will get me some.'

"Hi honey," greeted Danny, smiling. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I feel pretty good," answered the young girl, trying her hardest to sound perky.

"That's good." Danny sat in a hard plastic chair that was next to the hospital bed. He gently stroked his daughter's hair. She did look better. Color had begun to return to her cheeks and she looked less tired. "I see you haven't touched your breakfast. You're not hungry?"

'Rats! I should have known he would ask that.' "I am, but I don't want that. I want pancakes." Danny sighed and wearily rubbed his forehead. For the past few days the nurse had to toss out most meals.

"I know you dislike the hospital food, but try to eat at least some of it."

"But why?" whined Michelle. "It's so yucky!" She knew she sounded like a baby, but she couldn't help it. Before her family brought food for her, she had to force herself to eat, and she didn't think she could do it again.

"It is not good to waste food," replied the older man gently, but firmly.

"But—" Michelle started to protest. Her bottom lip started to tremble.

Mr. Tanner put up a hand for silence. "No buts. If you don't eat some of your breakfast, you will not have a treat."

"Oh Daddy, that's not fair!" the little girl whined. She started to sniffle.

At that moment, Jesse, Joey, Becky and Michelle's older siblings rushed into the room.

"What's going on in here?" asked Jesse.

"Yeah, what's wrong with Michelle?" added Stephanie.

"She wants pancakes instead of the breakfast given to her," answered the TV show host.

"Ah," said Jesse. "Can you blame her? The hospital food stinks. What's the harm in giving her some decent food?"

"She needs to realize she can't always get what she wants," responded Danny. "I am sure the nurses are displeased by the food trays they had to dispose of."

Joey nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean. But come on, Danny, give the kid a break. If I were her, I wouldn't want it, either."

"I'm sorry, but my decision is final."

Joey knew that when Danny spoke in such a tone, there was no point in questioning him. Even so, he still thought his best friend was being unfair. He eyed Michelle, whose face was red and puffy.

"Tell you what Michelle…you eat as much of that as you can, and later I'll get you something from McDonald's. How does that sound?"

Michelle looked somewhat happier.

"Okay." She sighed and ate half of her toast, then a bite of scrambled eggs, and took a sip of orange juice. As much as she hated the idea of eating such poorly prepared food, she was willing to do so if it meant she would have what she really wanted as a reward. Just as she was finishing off another bite of the scrambled eggs, the Doctor came into the hospital room with some test results.

Everyone's hearts started pounding nervously, since they were not sure if he had good news or bad news. What had he come to say? That the steroids were not working? That the tumor grew even bigger? They certainly hoped not, since she was feeling so much better.

"Well I have some excellent news. The steroids have reduced the swelling completely and the tumor has shrunk slightly." said the Doctor. The family felt relieved to hear this.

"That's terrific," Jesse said.

"Awesome!" exclaimed DJ and Stephanie.

Michelle forgot about the sub-par food for a second.

"Does this mean I can go home soon?" she asked. She didn't think she could survive being in the hospital for much longer. The Doctor nodded.

"In fact, you're well enough to be released today. This afternoon, to be exact."

"Oh yay!" Michelle got out of her bed and started jumping up and down. She was so excited she knocked her breakfast tray over. The remainder of her breakfast almost landed on Stephanie's shoes.

"Hey! Cool it, would ya! You nearly messed up my shoes! I have school in a little while, you know!" the older girl scolded.

Michelle looked sheepishly.

"Oops…sorry." She climbed back into her bed. 'Well at least I wouldn't have to eat more of that stuff.'

"That's quite alright." The Doctor eyed the mess. "It's nothing that cannot be cleaned up." He turned to face Danny. "Your daughter can be picked up at 3 o'clock this afternoon. She will still have to come to the hospital five days a week for radiation for the next six weeks and get more chemotherapy as well, but she will be an outpatient."

"All right." The tall man glanced at his watch. "Well it's time for me to head off to work…and time for you to go to school, Steph." He kissed Michelle on the forehead and headed towards the exit. Becky followed as well.

"I know." She couldn't wait to tell Gia the wonderful news.

"I guess I'd better be going too," said DJ. "See you later, Michelle. "

Soon, only Jesse and Joey were left in the room with Michelle. Joey stood up. "I'll be right back, Michelle."

"Wait! Where are you going?" asked the little girl.

Joey did nothing but wink at her. "It's a surprise…one you will like a lot." He left the room.

'Oooh, I wonder what that could be. I hope it's food,' thought Michelle. 'I am so hungry I can eat a bear.'

* * *

Stephanie arrived at school with ten minutes to spare. She saw an annoyed Gia waiting for her at her locker, arms tightly crossed. 'Uh-oh…something must be seriously wrong.'

"So Gia, what's up? Why do you look mad?" asked the blonde.

"Because I am," answered Gia. She sounded nice and cool, Stephanie couldn't stand it.

"But why? Did I do something wrong?" Stephanie thought of some mean things she possibly could have done to make Gia mad, but she couldn't remember doing anything bad since the two of them became friends.

"You stood me up this morning."

Stephanie looked lost. "What do you mean?"

"I went over to your house this morning so we could walk to school together, but no one was home. I got stuck talking to Kimmy Gibbler."

Stephanie gave the brunette a sympathetic look and felt guilty. She never liked Kimmy either, although they had gotten to the point where they could at least be civil.

"Oh I'm sorry. It's just that Uncle Jesse and Joey took DJ and me to see Michelle, that's all."

"Oh." The frown on Gia's face softened considerably. She knew there would be no way for her to know that.

"Yeah, I would never ditch you! You're my friend!"

"You mean that?"

"Of course I do!" Stephanie wrapped Gia up in a big hug. Gia obliged, glad to know it was just a matter of her jumping to conclusions.

"Now that you mentioned it, how is Little Michelle doing anyway?" asked Gia.

"Much better. In fact, she's coming home today."

"Really? That's awesome news!"

"Yeah…" Stephanie agreed a bit hesitantly. She was still feeling a bit peeved about her shoes nearly getting messed up that morning, plus there would be Michelle's moodiness to deal with. "Say, would you like to come over and spend the night? I will ask Dad."

Gia's eyes brightened.

"Would I? Sure! That would be great!"

"Yes. And don't worry. I will make sure everyone is on their best behavior, especially Michelle." Gia nodded.

"Don't worry. I can handle the little squirt."

All of a sudden, the bell rang. Gia, Stephanie, and all the students in the hall rushed to their homerooms.

* * *

Emily walked into Michelle's room with her mom by her side holding her hand. Emily stated that Jade would have come too if she wasn't stuck in isolation because of an infection, something that was very common in patients with a suppressed immune system, like someone on chemotherapy.

"Morning Michelle."

"Morning Emily, Mrs. Crawford." Susan smiled and returned a 'hello.'

The girls sat on Michelle's bed and talked about many things, including school.

"What grade are you in?" Emily asked.

"I'm going into fourth. You?"

"Me too. What school do you go to?"

"Frasier Street Elementary."

"Wow! So do I. Which teacher are you getting?"

"Mr. Lowry. My sister Stephanie had him when she was in fourth grade too."

"Cool! We're gonna be in the same class."

Then Emily looked down at the floor sadly.

"Aren't you worried that kids will tease when you go back to school. When I went back, everyone teased me because they didn't understand. They thought I was weird."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. Emily can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Michelle?"

"How did you find out that you were sick?" Michelle didn't want to be rude but Emily didn't seem to mind.

"Five months ago I was at school and I was playing a sport with my friends. The ball was thrown and it hit my head. Then, I started to get bad headaches and fall over randomly. I was taken to get an x ray or whatever that machine thing is, and they found out that I had a brain tumor. " Emily looked sad but continued to speak. "I hated it here at first. I was frightened and didn't want anyone near me. I didn't think they gave kids like us a choice of what we could eat either. At least, not at first."

Michelle shuddered, thinking about how the meals were...they were so terrible that having cafeteria food was a picnic in comparison. When she heard Emily's story, she couldn't help but to feel for her and notice that the turn of events that led to her cancer diagnosis was similar, like the loss of balance and head injury sustained prior to it.

Emily's mother smiled at how well Michelle was getting along with her daughter. Emily had such trouble making new friends, so it was nice for her to make a new friend she could relate to.

"Guess what?" said Michelle excitedly, wanting to talk about something more pleasant. "I get to go home today! When do you get to go home?"

"I am going home today too." Emily answered excitedly.

"Sweet!"

* * *

Later that afternoon, Michelle was dressing back into her comfortable clothes, a red shirt with blue jeans and black Mary Jane's when a nurse named Amy came in to check on her.

"Michelle, have you looked at the menu we have in each room?"

"No, why?"

"Here is a hospital menu. You pick out what you would like for lunch. I will be right back."

"Okay." well all this time there was a menu here no wonder Emily looked like she was happy a few days ago in the playroom."

Michelle circled a Hamburger and a Coke and when Amy came back, she saw the menu filled out and took it.

"Thank you Michelle. You, Jade, and Emily make a nurse's job easier."

"Can I go to the playroom, please?"

"I don't see a grown up around to take you." Amy replied.

Just then, Joey came down the hallway to see the nurse talking to Michelle

"Nurse?"

"Hello." Amy greeted. "Michelle was just asking me if she could go to the playroom."

"I'll take her." Then he turned to Michelle. "How about I take you after lunch and then we'll get out of here?" He suggested.

"Yay!"

* * *

"Dad, can Gia sleep over next weekend?"

"Well, I don't know Steph..."

"Dad, please? I will leave our bedroom door open if you want, in case something happens."

"Okay Sweetheart."

"Thanks Dad."

* * *

_More soon!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Michelle's Journey**

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

Jesse and Joey were in Michelle's room, waiting for her to return from Emily's room. They had gotten into an argument over which new theme song to use for their radio talk show.

"Why do you always have to choose one of your rock songs? Children will never become fans of our talk show with music like that!" said Joey. Jesse rolled his eyes and shook his head in annoyance.

"You have fried your brain with all those cartoons and kid shows! It's time you start thinking about more serious and important things...like marriage and children."

Joey was completely insulted by that remark because he had been thinking of that before, but every time he found a girl he really liked, it turned out that the relationship was not meant to be. Plus he felt like Jesse was undermining him.

"It's easy for you to say! And at least by being young at heart I will be able to relate to a child by the time I AM married with children! And I will live a nice long life while you die of a heart attack from acting like Oscar the Grouch!"

"What was that?" Jesse clenched his fists and stood up. Joey did the same.

"You heard me!"

The two men faced each other and glared as if they were mortal enemies.

* * *

Michelle had a hard time holding back her tears...she hadn't realized until now how much she would miss Emily. Although she had not known the girl for very long, she had grown fond of her.

Emily looked up from where she was packing up her belongings.

"Michelle? Are you okay? You seem sad." Michelle gave a small sniffle.

"I'm gonna miss you so much."

"Awww, I will miss you, too." Emily gave her new friend a hug. She was starting to feel sad, too. "You know Michelle, maybe we could still see each other."

Michelle thought about this, and knew Emily meant.

"You're right! Maybe our parents will let us play together at our houses."

"That would be awesome!" declared Emily.

"Here, I will give you my address just in case your mom says it's okay." Michelle spotted some paper and pens on the desk. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled her address and phone number on the paper, then handed it to Emily.

"Gosh, thanks so much!" Emily also got a piece of paper and pen, wrote her address and phone number down, and handed it to Michelle.

"Thank YOU." Michelle stuck the piece of paper in her pocket.

"It sure would be nice to have you over, Emily," Michelle Said

while Emily got back to packing her stuff. Just as she was finishing, her mother came in.

"Are you ready, Em?"

"Yes Mommy."

Michelle felt slightly weepy seeing her new friend leave, but held back her tears as she knew she would see Emily again soon...and it was a play date she would be looking forward to.

* * *

Joey followed Jesse outside the room to see what he wanted. He braced himself for another argument, but he didn't have the energy to do so and quite frankly he was tired of arguing over the subject and hated the fights as a whole.

'I wish he could see how good it is to be young at heart.' Joey paced a bit. "So what is it you have to talk to me about?" He hoped his voice didn't sound too edgy. After all, he did want to make up.

"Well, what Michelle's doctor told me is that the side effects of her treatment just started, so we would have a long few weeks with Michelle's mood swings. It's almost like when Becky came home after she had Nicky and Alex. You know how her mood would change from happy to sad at the drop of a hat?"

"Yep, I remember. So that's how Michelle will be for a while, am I right?"

"Right, Pal. I am sorry about the argument and for not listening to you."

"I forgive you, Jesse. Next time, how about we try it without arguing and just compromise."

"You got it, Pal!"

Michelle returned a few minutes later and started to pack her things.

"Hey, Munchkin," Jesse greeted. "You almost ready to get out of here?"

"Yeah, definitely." A grin formed on the little girl's face as she stuffed as much clothes and toys into her suitcase as she could. She had a little trouble closing it, but Joey stepped in and pressed his weight against it and Jesse fastened the locks.

"We're good to go." Joey said as he picked up the suitcase and went downstairs to load it into the car.

* * *

_- 3:30 PM, Tanner Home -_

"Okay guys, they'll be home any second now. Remember, Michelle's going through a lot and her moods are unpredictable, so please try your best to be understanding with her. We don't want to alienate her or anything like that. Got it?" Danny said as the family was getting ready for Michelle's arrival.

"We got it, Dad." DJ replied.

"You can count on us." Rebecca added.

"Yeah!" Nicky and Alex added in unison. They didn't understand the extent of the situation, but they too wanted to do their best to help their cousin.

"They're here!" exclaimed Stephanie as she opened the front door to see Jesse's car pull up along the curb. Michelle got out of the vehicle, followed by Joey and Jesse and the trio walked into the house. A 'Welcome Home!' banner was hung up above the mantle and balloons from family and friends floated about, little weights attached to the ends to keep them from hitting the ceiling and the fan.

"Welcome home, Michelle!" everyone shouted. Michelle's mouth and eyes went wide with amazement at the sight of everything.

"Thanks everybody!"

"You're welcome." replied Rebecca. "We're very glad you're home."

"Me too." Michelle replied. Just then, Comet ran toward Michelle to welcome her back. He jumped up and Michelle laughed as he began licking her face.

"Down, Boy!" Danny orders, grabbing a hold of the Golden Retriever's collar. "DJ, please take Comet out to the back yard."

"Dad, he wasn't hurting me. Why can't he stay?"

"I am sorry, honey, but I don't want you to get hurt or sick."

"NO !" Michelle screamed and she ran upstairs and slammed her bedroom door.

"Actually, Dad, pets can help a patient's recovery. Some medical professionals use animal therapy in hospitals or clinics, saying it helps brighten up their patients' spirits." DJ suggested.

"Really?" Danny questioned.

"Yeah."

"Uh-oh! I better go apologize to her. I think I may have been a little harsh." With that, he walked up to his youngest daughter's room and knocked on the door.

"Go away!" Michelle yelled.

"I have something I need to say to you. Please open the door." Michelle hesitated for a moment, worried about what her father might tell her, but reluctantly, she unlocked the door and Danny took a seat on the edge of her bed.

"Honey, I'm sorry about the way I reacted about Comet."

"Really? Does that mean he can still come near me?"

"Yes, but be careful, okay? I just overreacted because I was worried that you'd get sick from him, but DJ told me that it's not true. So, am I forgiven?"

"You got it, Dude!" She gave him two thumbs up, then wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. "Comet, here boy!" She called to the family pet, who ran up the stairs and jumped onto her bed, and she petted his soft golden fur as he lay his head on her lap


	5. Chapter 5

**Michelle's Journey**

* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

_- September 8, 1995 -_

It's been six weeks since Michelle was diagnosed. The treatments proved to be harsh on her little body. She vomited almost every day from the chemotherapy, was fatigued and slept a lot because of the radiation, and in addition to her mood swings and extreme hunger, the steroids caused her to gain weight. Her face was round like the full moon and she had put on about twenty pounds, taking her from her usual weight of fifty-five to almost seventy-five pounds. Her four foot-three inch frame ached from having gained this much so quickly.

She didn't know how much longer she could take this. She wished she didn't have to take her medications, even refused to at times, especially those horrible steroids. Fortunately, her Doctor prescribed an anti-nausea medication, Zofran, to relieve some of the nausea and vomiting which seemed to help.

She hoped that today's appointment would bring good news and she could stop taking all these drugs. She wanted so much to be a normal child, as she was before this whole thing began.

"Michelle, are you ready to go?" Danny asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, Dad." They got in Danny's car and drove to the hospital where they checked in at the Emergency Department's front desk, then with the radiology department. Then they waited until Michelle's name was called and Danny accompanied her as she followed Angela, her favorite Radiology nurse, to the radiation machine for her final dose.

"Would you like me to stay with you?" Wondered Danny. Michelle initially was terrified of being in this room and stuck to a cold table, unable to move as she was zapped by the beams of radiation. As the weeks went on, she became less anxious and even helped the nurses with her treatments.

"I'm fine, Daddy. Go!" said Michelle confidently. Danny went back to the waiting room and within a few minutes, it was over and Michelle came back out and rejoined her father until she was called in again for her MRI.

After the MRI, Michelle wanted to go to the playroom on the Pediatric Oncology floor while waiting for the results to come back. Danny agreed and walked her over there where she met up with Emily and Jade at the drawing table.

"Hi, Guys!" greeted Michelle.

"Hi Michelle!" Emily and Jade responded excitedly.

Both girls looked amazingly healthy. Jade had lost all her red hair by now, but she didn't let that get her down. A donor had been found and she was there for testing to make sure she was healthy enough to undergo an unrelated bone marrow transplant. If all went well, she would receive her transplant within the next two weeks in hopes that her leukemia would be cured. Emily's tumor remained stable and she was back to her pre-steroid weight and feeling great.

As the girls talked amongst themselves and Danny chatted with their parents, the Doctor entered the room, holding a clipboard.

"Michelle Tanner?" he called out. Danny looked up at him, praying silently that the results of his daughter's MRI were favorable.

"What's the verdict, Doc?"

"I have excellent news for you. The tumor has shrunk by fifty percent, maybe a little bit more." replied the Doctor.

"Fantastic! Michelle, did you hear him? He said your tumor is smaller."

"Yay! Does this mean I can stop taking those yucky medicines?" Michelle asked, hoping the Doctor would say 'Yes.'

"Well, if we take you off all your medicines, the tumor might come back, but you can start cutting down on the steroids and I'll see you back here in eight weeks."

"Can I go back to school on Monday?"

"I don't see why not." He confirmed, knowing that children should be treated as normally as possible. He warned Danny that Michelle might tire out faster and need to rest, but aside from that, there were no restrictions. They shook hands with the Doctor and he left to tend to other patients. The girls continued playing until Danny told Michelle it was time to go home.

"Dad, can we stop at McDonald's on the way home?"

"Sure, sweetie. I'll even spring for a chocolate cake from your favorite bakery and we'll celebrate."

"Awesome! Thanks, Dad. You're the best!"

"I am, aren't I?" They drove to McDonald's where Michelle ordered four cheeseburgers, a large order of fries, a large Coke, and two apple pies, and Danny ordered food for the rest of the family, then they went to the bakery and bought a full-sheet double chocolate cake before driving home.

* * *

_- September 11 -_

Michelle was in her room, getting dressed for her first day of fourth grade. She had her school supplies packed and ready to go last night and Danny bought her new clothes and shoes. She was feeling a lot better and glad to be weaning herself off the steroids. She couldn't help but feel apprehensive about how other children would treat her when they saw how she looked.

"Hey Michelle!" Stephanie said. She noticed that her little sister looked pale, like she had just seen a ghost. "You look scared about something. What's the matter?"

"Stephanie, what will my friends say when they see me with my new body? I look like a blimp." Michelle replied sadly, not making any eye contact. Stephanie took a seat next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Michelle, they are your friends, right? If they are truly your friends, they won't tease you about it." Stephanie assured her, remembering when she was in second grade and she and her friends called Walter Berman 'duck face' and treated him like he was a duck, which she apologized for and ended up being teased herself when Walter referred to her as his 'secret girlfriend' in front of the others. It didn't feel very good to be teased and she and her friends learned a very valuable lesson from it.

"Yes."

"Okay then. Maybe if you tell them and the rest of the class what's been going on, they will not make fun of you. I promise."

"Will you come with me today? Please!" She pleaded.

"Michelle, you'll be fine. You did just fine before without my help, once you got over your issues in Kindergarten," Stephanie stopped herself for a moment or two, not wanting to say anything that may unintentionally set Michelle off. "but for today only, I will walk you to your class."

"Thank you, Stephanie."

"You're welcome." The sisters hugged for a moment and Stephanie left the room and went downstairs for breakfast, allowing Michelle to finish getting ready.

* * *

"Dad, can I talk to you?" asked Stephanie as she poured herself a bowl of Oat Boats and sliced up some bananas and strawberries.

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm very worried about Michelle. She's been all mopey about school since yesterday. She thinks her friends will tease her."

"Did you try talking to her?"

"Yeah. I told her that if they were her true friends, they would accept her for who she is, regardless of what she looks like."

"I'm proud of you. You have a big heart, you know. I appreciate you trying to help your little sister."

"Thanks." Michelle came down, dressed in a pink sweater with purple flowers, white jeans, and red sneakers, and ate her breakfast. Then Danny drove to Michelle's school and Stephanie walked her into her class.

* * *

Michelle found Emily and introduced Emily to the rest of her friends. Her friends asked her and Emily some questions about their cancer and the treatments, and they seemed accepting. The group found their seats as Stephanie left and went to school herself.

The bell rang loudly throughout the building and in walked Mr. Lowry, the same teacher Stephanie had when she was in fourth grade. Michelle smiled. She thought he was a 'babe' then, and after all those years, he hadn't changed much at all.

"Hello, Class!" Mr. Lowry greeted, writing his name on the blackboard. "Welcome to fourth grade. As you can see, my name is Mr. Lowry and I hope you all will have a great year." Then, he explained the class rules, talked about what materials would be required, and wrote the first assignment on the board. "Alright, I would like you guys to write about your summer vacation and when time is up, you will present your paper to the rest of us."

Michelle sat in her chair, thinking about her assignment. She wrote about feeling sick, waking up in the hospital, and finding out she has a brain tumor, as well as the medications, the side effects, and how the love and support of her family and friends helped her cope. She finished writing and waited for the other students to finish.

"Okay, pencils down, class! When I call your name, please come up to the front of the room and share your stories." Mr. Lowry instructed. He called out each student's name and when Michelle's name was called, she swallowed her breath apprehensively, walked up to the front, and started reading.

"My name is Michelle Elizabeth Tanner and I am almost nine years old. This summer, I found out I have a brain tumor. You see, I was playing with my friends at Alamo Park when I lost my balance and fell down. My family thought I was okay at first, but then I got even sicker. I don't remember much except that I had a bad headache and woke up in the hospital. My dad told me I was sick and I had a brain tumor and have to take medicine." She cleared her throat, then continued.

"The medicines made me feel very sick. I wondered if they even worked at all, because I was throwing up a lot and I felt tired from the radiation. The steroids were the worst! They made me really moody and hungry all the time and I gained a lot of weight. Sometimes, I thought about throwing them away instead of taking them, but my dad would have found out, so I just sucked it up and took them anyway. I'm happy I won't be on them much longer." By now, some of the class had begun to tear up. Michelle herself felt like she was going to cry, but still, she continued.

"My family and friends are helping me a lot, especially Emily, who I met in the hospital playroom. She has the same tumor as me. Everyone has been very nice to me and they always encourage me when I'm feeling down. I thought everyone at school would make fun of me, but Emily and my family told me that everything would be okay. I am very happy and thankful to have them in my life. I don't know what I would do without them. Thank you!"

Everyone was teary-eyed now, even Mr. Lowry. They clapped loudly and Michelle went back to her seat.

"That was very sad, Michelle, but well written. Good job!" Complemented Mr. Lowry. "I'm sorry to hear that you have a brain tumor. I hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks." Michelle replied.

The rest of the day passed by smoothly and Michelle rode the school bus home with a big smile on her face. This day had turned out much better than she expected


	6. Chapter 6

**Michelle's Journey**

* * *

Chapter 6

* * *

_- September 29 -_

Michelle and Danny were at the playground. Danny was going over notes for _Wake Up, San Francisco _while Michelle played on her favorite piece of equipment, the swings.

"Hi Michelle!" A voice shouted. Michelle recognized the voice as Emily's and jumped off her swing. Danny looked up to see her running towards her friend and he noticed that Emily had come with her mother Susan.

"Hello Mrs. Crawford. It's nice to see you again." Greeted Danny.

"Oh no, please call me Susan. Nice to see you too, Mr. Tanner." replied Susan.

"Danny, please."

"Okay."

"What brings you girls by?" He asked.

"Jade was admitted for her bone marrow transplant last week." Danny could hear it in Susan's voice that something wasn't quite right. "She did well during the transplant itself, but she developed a fungal infection this morning and had to be moved to the PICU. Mary is very worried and scared. She hasn't left Jade's side."

Jade had gone to the hospital last Tuesday, the nineteenth, and after a week of conditioning, which consisted of total body irradiation and intense chemotherapy to destroy the remaining cancer cells in her body, followed by a day of rest, she underwent her transplant two days ago, on the twenty-seventh. Now, she was in the PICU, fighting for her life.

"Jade and her family are in my prayers. Does Emily know?"

"I told her that Jade is in the hospital having more treatment, but if I told her about this, it would destroy her."

What Danny and Susan didn't know was that Michelle and Emily had overheard their parents' conversation. Both girls worried about their friend and hoped that she'd get rid of the infection and be okay.

"Emily, I have an idea! How about we make cards for Jade?" Michelle suggested hopefully, thinking that a card would boost Jade's spirits.

"That's a great idea, Michelle, but we didn't bring any markers or paper with us."

"That's okay. We can ask our parents if you can come over my house and then we can make the cards."

"I like that. Come on!" The two girls skipped over to the bench and joined their parents.

"Dad, can Emily come home with us when we leave the park?" Michelle begged, giving her father a pout with her lower lip.

"I don't know, Honey. It's up to her mother."

"Yeah, Mom. Can I? We want to make cards for Jade and take them to her." Emily pleaded.

"If Danny says it's alright, then it's fine with me too." Emily called out a 'thank you' as she and Michelle ran off to play on the monkey bars.

* * *

A couple days later, Danny had the girls' cards delivered to the hospital. Neither Danny, Susan, nor the girls were allowed in the PICU, due to the 'Parents or legal guardians only' rule, but they were able to see Jade through a glass window.

It broke their hearts to see the six-year-old on a bed with all sorts of wires hooked up to her and a tube down her throat, breathing for her. The infection had invaded her lungs and the PICU staff were doing their best to prevent it from spreading to her brain and killing her.

Sadly, Jade's Earthly healing was not to be. On October fourth, one week after her transplant, at three thirty-nine in the morning, the nurses disconnected the machines and Mary cradled her daughter one last time. Ten minutes later, Jade took her final breath.

"She's in Heaven now. She went peacefully." Mary said as she came outside the room where Susan and Danny were waiting.

"How are we going to tell Michelle and Emily?" Susan wondered.

"We'll just have to tell the girls as soon as they get home from their Honey Bee meeting." replied Danny, wiping tears from his eyes. This little girl had touched his heart. He couldn't help but feel sad and angry that she was taken so young.

"Okay." Mary said. "Jade wanted me to give this to the girls. It's a letter she wrote. I promised her I'd make sure the girls got it."

"I'll give it to them for you." Danny said.

"Did you call your family?" Susan asked.

"Yes. They are arriving tomorrow." Mary answered.

* * *

Later that morning, Susan and Mary were at the Tanner house, discussing Jade's funeral arrangements and how her death was affecting them.

"It's like a bad dream or something. I still can't believe she's gone." Mary said, sobbing.

"I know how you feel, but you know, Mary, Jade isn't suffering anymore. She's at peace." Becky said sensitively. She didn't know Jade personally, but she knew how hard the child fought.

"We know how much Jade meant to you, Mary." Joey added.

"Thank you," Mary said. "but I just feel so helpless, like I could have done something sooner."

"Mary there was nothing you that could have done. There was nothing that the Doctor or Nurses could have done to save your little girl either." said Jesse.

"You're right, guys." Mary replied. "It's just that she was my only baby. After her father passed away, she was the only thing that kept me going every day and now she's gone." Mary sobbed even harder than before.

"Mary, it's gonna be okay. We'll get through this." Stephanie said, trying to comfort her. She was only thirteen, but she still wanted to do her best to help.

"Yeah, we will. I'll be fine. Thank you, Steph. Excuse me, but I have to go. I have to make the arrangements." Mary started to leave, but Jesse gently grabbed her arm.

"Well, if you want, we'll be glad to help you." he offered.

"Yeah, Mary. We can take care of all of that. You just sit down and let us handle it." Susan added.

"I appreciate it, everyone, but no. It's my responsibility. I've got to to home and make the arrangements myself. Sorry guys." Mary sobbed even harder as she went out the front door.

"Let me go talk to her. Maybe I can help." Jesse suggested as he ran to catch up to Mary before she left.

* * *

_-Afternoon-_

"Hi everybody!" Michelle and Emily said in unison as they came home from a Honey Bee meeting with handmade gifts in their hands that they wanted to give their friend.

"Hey girls." Susan and Danny greeted. They debated silently about how they would tell their daughters about Jade, but they knew they had to tell the truth.

"How was Honey Bees?" Susan asked.

"It was great, Mom. We made this for Jade." Emily held up a bead necklace with all three girls' names on it. Michelle showed them a similar necklace, except it had different colors.

"Can we go to the hospital and give these to her, please?" Michelle asked.

"Sit down, girls." Danny told them.

"Uh-oh! This can't be good." Emily whispered to Michelle.

"Emily and Michelle, Jade is not with us anymore." Susan informed. The two girls looked around and they saw everyone crying.

"Something is wrong, isn't it?" asked Michelle.

"Uh, girls, this is not an easy thing to say to you." Danny started.

"This morning, Mary called and Danny and I went to the Hospital. Jade passed away." Susan finished.

"What? How?" The girls exclaimed, shocked to hear this piece of information. This was too difficult for them to believe. Their friend wasn't that sick when they last saw her, so how did it happen so fast?

"She got an infection some time during the transplant process and it spread through her lungs and into her brain and the rest of her body. They did everything they could to save her, but the infection was too strong and there was nothing that could be done and she stopped breathing.

"NO! SHE ISN'T DEAD!" Michelle screamed and she ran off. Emily cried in her mother's arms. She couldn't believe her friend had just died. The three girls were so close, it was almost like they were sisters.

"Michelle, come back!" Danny shouted as he went after her.

"Dad, let me talk to her." DJ said as she followed her to her room. The door had been locked and DJ took a hair pin from her hair and used it to pick the lock. "Michelle?"

"GO AWAY!" came the eight-year-old's angry response.

"I understand what you're going through. When Mom, Papouli, and Ya Ya Gina died, I was sad and angry too."

"So what? I said get out of here and leave me alone!"

"Fine, but I'm not giving up. None of us are." DJ left the room and went back downstairs as Michelle slammed the door and locked it again. The eighteen-year-old understood how her youngest sister felt and wished she could do more to help her, but for now, she decided, she would have to be patient.

* * *

_-Evening-_

The family, aside from Michelle, who was still locked in her room, were sitting at the table, eating lasagna and salad as they pondered about how to deal with Michelle's problems. However, Nicky and Alex didn't want to eat and threw their plates and cups on the floor.

"Boys, that was naughty!" Becky scolded them. "This is your warning. If you do not sit here and eat, you will go in time out." The twins stared at her for a moment, but continued to defy her.

"NO, DAMN IT!" Jesse wanted to smack them in their mouths for this language, but he knew that spanking children didn't teach them anything except to be aggressive or fearful.

"I'll handle this, Beck. You just eat, okay."

"Okay."

Jesse picked them up out of their seats and carried them up to the attic apartment and put them in their naughty chairs, as they called them.

"Boys, I put you both on the naughty chairs because you didn't listen when you were told to eat your dinner and for saying a bad word. You need to sit here for four minutes and then I will come and get you." Jesse stepped away, leaving the twins to do their punishment, but they got up and began running around, acting as if this whole thing was a joke.

Jesse remained firm and returned them to the chairs and reset the timer, but they continued to get up and screamed as they ran around, throwing things into the toilet and trying to flush them down, jumping on their parents' bed, or playing with their father's Elvis guitar. This cycle went on for almost an hour before they finally gave up and did their time.

He followed through with the punishment and they apologized and agreed to eat their dinner.

* * *

_-October 10-_

Jade's funeral took place on Saturday, October seventh. It had been a very beautiful ceremony and everyone in the Tanner house attended. Michelle and Emily placed the necklaces they had made for her in the casket as well as a farewell letter and they spoke about their friendship to Jade's family and everyone else, as well as how she touched their lives in such a short amount of time. Mary and other family members spoke, as did Jade's Kindergarten teacher, who said that Jade was a smart and happy child who always tried her best and was kind to others. Jade was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, next to her father.

It's been two days since then and after Michelle and Emily left for school, Jesse received a phone call from someone at the school.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is Mr. Lowry. How have Michelle and Emily been?"

"They are fine. We sent them back to school today." Jesse listened as Mr. Lowry told him that the girls had never arrived. "What do you mean they are not in class? I saw them leave to catch the bus."

Jesse went through the house in search of the girls. The girls sneaked back in through the kitchen and hid under the table, watching as he came back into the kitchen and took some cookies from the cookie jar.

"I had a big breakfast, but I have these chocolate chip cookies left. What should I do? I know. I will put them on the table and come back and get them later." He said as he wrapped them in plastic and put them on the table. As the girls reached for the cookies, Jesse noticed and grabbed their hands.

"Gotcha you two!"

"That was mean." Emily whined.

"Girls, what are you doing out from school?"

"We couldn't find our backpacks." Michelle lied.

"What are those?" Jesse asked, pointing toward the backpacks which were resting by the stairs to the attic.

"Oh, they were by the stairs! How could we forget?" Emily pretended.

"The one place we didn't think to look!" added Michelle.

"Hey, hey, hey, Girls! Hold on a second. Come here, both of you." He led them into the living room and sat them on the couch.

"Okay girls, let me know what is really going on here."

"I can't tell you." Michelle replied.

"Munchkin, we've been over this. Remember when Papouli died and I told you we are family and that we always share our feelings with one other?"

"Yes, Uncle Jesse.''

"Good, so why is this happening again?"

"We were going to take Jade to our school today for Bring Your Friends to Class Day, but that was before we knew she was gonna go to the hospital, and then she died." Michelle explained.

"We were afraid that if we went to school and Jade wasn't there, we would feel sad." Emily continued.

"Emily, Michelle, it's okay to feel sad."

"I also didn't want my mood to take over or I'd say those mean words to you guys again."

"Listen, I said you can feel sad and angry all you want, and Michelle, no more bad words, capisce?" Jesse said.

"Okay Uncle Jesse."

"Okay then, let's get to school." Jesse gave the two girls a hug and drove them off to school. They were an hour late, but Mr. Lowry didn't yell at them. He understood what they were going through, but reminded them that if they were late again, there would be a consequence. Then, the class continued taking turns talking about the friends they had brought to school with them. When it was Michelle and Emily's turn, they shared a story they had written in Jade's memory.


	7. Chapter 7

**Michelle's Journey**

* * *

Chapter 7 edited 9/20/2013

* * *

_-November 10-_

A month has passed since Jade's funeral and Michelle's depression was getting better. Danny had contacted the same therapist who helped Stephanie after the earthquake back in 1989 and set up an appointment. Michelle was nervous about talking to her at first, but eventually she warmed up and told the therapist about Jade and how she felt about losing her friend. The therapist gave her ideas about how to cope with her loss and now, she was on the road to recovery and doing well.

Michelle had a follow-up MRI four days after the meeting with the therapist, which showed that the tumor was stable. The family hoped for the tumor to shrink more, but stable was still good. She was off the steroids and had lost most of the weight she gained from taking them.

Today was her and the twins' birthday party and they couldn't be more excited. Friends and family arrived to celebrate, including Becky's sister Connie and nephew Howie, who had flown in from Nebraska and were flying back the next day, Grandma Tanner, and Grandma and Grandpa Katsopolis. Emily came with her parents, Susan and George as well as Mary, who brought gifts that Jade had been planning to give to Michelle.

"Thanks Mary." Michelle said, accepting the gifts. Then she remembered she wanted to give Mary something as well and she ran up to her room to get it and came back down. "Me and Emily were talking and we want you to have the story we made of Jade."

"Oh girls, I couldn't take this from you. You worked very hard on it."

"Please take it. We made ourselves a copy already and we'd like you to have the original."

"Okay, girls. Thank you. You are very sweet."

"No problem." Replied Emily and Michelle in unison.

"Girls, we have a special surprise for you!" Danny called to them from the kitchen. They went into the kitchen with everyone else following close behind.

"What is it?" Michelle asked.

"Yeah, tell us." Emily added.

"Danny, tell them already!" Jesse said.

"Okay DJ, turn on the video camera, please."

"Sure Dad." DJ answered as she started recording.

"Girls, your trips to Hawaii were called off."

"What? Is that the surprise?" Michelle asked.

"How rude of them!" Emily commented.

"Umm, guys, we better tell them now before their moods go over to the dark side." Susan suggested.

"Calm down you two, Please!" George told them.

"Now the real reason we can't go to Hawaii is because..." Danny started. "Make A Wish granted both of your wishes to go to Disney World!"

"YAY!" The girls shouted excitedly. Michelle hadn't been there since she was six and she couldn't wait to go back, while it was Emily's first time there.

"When do we leave?" asked Michelle.

"We're leaving on Sunday morning which is Michelle and the Twins' actual birthday." The two girls ran to hug their parents. This was the best thing that's ever happened since they became sick.

"Girls, you can let go now." George said as Emily hugged him so tightly that it was hard for him to breathe.

"Dad, can I be the Princess again? I promise I won't run off and I will be a very good Princess this time."

"Michelle, I don't think they do that anymore."

"Oh, okay Dad."

"Dad, Mom since we leave on Sunday, can I sleep over this weekend, please?"

"No Emily. We have a lot of packing to do tomorrow and you have to take a bath tonight." Susan answered.

"Why can't I pack here with Michelle?"

"It wouldn't hurt, Susan. I can stop home and get her suitcases and two extra changes of clothes for her and she can take her bath here if Mr. Tanner doesn't mind." George explained.

"I don't mind, Mr. and Mrs. Crawford. You guys are welcome to stay any time."

"Alright, you can stay, but don't be up too late. We'll come over early Sunday morning to meet up and go to the airport." Susan agreed.

"Yes! Michelle, did you hear that? This is awesome!" The girls danced around the kitchen happily and DJ turned off the camcorder and put it on the table. Michelle, Nicky, Alex, and Emily went into the living room and played with the birthday gifts as the adults put the finishing touches on their cakes.

"Kids, we're getting ready to sing _'Happy Birthday'_. Come on." said Joey as he led them back into the kitchen and told them where to sit. The children were in awe at the sight of the cakes. Michelle's cake was double chocolate with pink whipped cream frosting and one of her favorite drawings was turned into an edible picture and put in the center. Nicky's had a sports theme, while Alex's was animal themed. Danny turned on the video camera again and hit the record button.

"Happy birthday to you," Grandma Irene began, then the rest of the guests joined in. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Michelle, Alex, and Nicky! Happy birthday to you!"

"Blow out the candles, you guys." Grandpa Nick said to them. Michelle and the twins blew out the candles and waited anxiously for the cakes to be served. Danny cut the cakes and served slices to the birthday children, then the guests.

After the cake was gone, the party began to wind down and the guests started to leave.

* * *

_-November 12-_

It was Michelle's birthday and the day of her and Emily's Make A Wish trip to Florida. Michelle and Emily woke everyone else up at four o'clock in the morning, dressed, packed, and ready to leave. Their flight was at seven-fifteen and they had to be at the airport at least two hours before, so the adults got ready and ate a quick breakfast, then two limousines arrived to take them to the airport.

They got to the airport by five and checked in, passed through security, and walked to the correct gate and waited until their flight was called.

"US Airways flight 18, non-stop to Orlando, now boarding!" came the announcement on the intercom system. The group boarded and the plane took off just after seven o' clock. Five hours and forty-seven minutes later, they arrived at Orlando International Airport and followed the signs to the tram, which took them to the terminal where they were met by an airport greeter.

"Hello! My name is Erica and I am a volunteer from Give Kids the World. I'm here to escort you to the Village." Give Kids the World was a seventy acre, non-profit resort where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families were treated to week long, cost-free vacations.

"Nice to meet you, Erica." Danny greeted as he and Emily's parents exchanged contact information with her. Erica escorted them to the baggage claim area, then to their rental cars. They drove toward the Village and parked their cars, then they walked to the House of Hearts to check in. The staff gave them a warm welcome and they were given goodies for the children, meal cards, villa keys, and a guide that gave them information about the Village.

Another volunteer escorted them to their villas and allowed them to settle in, then Danny, George and their daughters went back to the House of Hearts and attended the orientation. There, they learned about what the Village had to offer, the Disney parks and other attractions in the Central Florida area, and received free theme park tickets and buttons that allowed them to move to the front of the line when they went on the rides. After the orientation was over, they walked back to their villas. Michelle and Emily were still exhausted from the long flight and Danny and George had to pick them up and carry them.

"Dad, is Michelle okay?" DJ asked as Danny put Michelle in her bed. The little girl yawned and quickly fell asleep.

"Yeah, she's just tired. It's been a long day." Danny said. "We will let her rest for now and then we'll go to dinner and after that, we're going for a swim.

"Sounds good."

* * *

_-Evening-_

The Tanners met up with the Crawford's at The Gingerbread House, a restaurant that had tables featuring over twenty-seven thousand real peppermint candies and its shelves were decorated with dolls from all over the world. The children were amazed at the sight of this place. They wished they could eat the candy right off the tables. It was like being at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.

A hostess seated them and gave them menus, and a waitress came over to take their drink orders. Everyone ordered what they wanted and the waitress brought out the drinks, then she told them to help themselves to whatever they wanted to eat.

"This is great!" Michelle complemented as she tasted a spoonful of macaroni and cheese.

"I agree." said Emily, who took a big sip of her chocolate milk shake and bit into a ham and turkey BLT wrap.

After dinner, the group went back to the villas and changed into their swimsuits, and walked to the pool. Michelle and Emily played a game of water volleyball with DJ and Stephanie, and Joey, Jesse, Becky, and the twins took advantage of the water slide while Danny, Susan, and George talked about different subjects.

They stayed in the pool area until it was nearly closing time, which was nine PM and went back to their rooms. It was close to bedtime, so Becky took the twins into the master bedroom and put them to bed and Michelle took her shower and put on her pajamas, then she got into bed and waited for Danny, Jesse, and Joey to read her a story and sing her bedtime song.

"Baby let me be,

Your lovin' teddy bear

Put a chain around my neck,

And lead me anywhere

Oh, let me be

Your teddy bear." They continued to sing and soon she was fast asleep.

"Sweet dreams, my little Princess." Danny said lovingly as he turned off the light, then he, Jesse, and Joey went to bed themselves.

* * *

_-November 13-_

Everyone woke up around seven-thirty and got dressed and ready to go to breakfast.

"Michelle, Emily, where would you like to eat?" Susan asked them.

"Ice Cream Palace!" They shouted, much to the dismay of Danny, who wished Michelle would have chosen a more nutritious breakfast. However, he relented and the group walked over to Ice Cream Palace, where they served all-you-can-eat ice cream day and night, as well as the Express Start Breakfast which was served between seven forty-five and eleven AM.

Michelle, Emily, Nicky, and Alex opted for ice cream, while everyone else ordered the Express Start Breakfast. Joey, DJ, and Stephanie ate their breakfast, then they finished it off with some ice cream. After breakfast, they walked around, discussing what to do next.

"Daddy, can we go do the star thing?"

"What star thing, Michelle?"

"The thing where you go into that castle and you put your name on a star and it gets put on the ceiling." Michelle explained.

"That's a good idea." Emily agreed.

"Okay, let's go." said Danny as he tried to find out where the place was.

They walked through the Village until they saw what looked like an over-sized red mushroom, which was a carousel. Next to the carousel was a tall old-fashioned looking castle. This was called the Castle of Miracles. When they walked inside through the castle's wooden doors, they were greeted by another one of the volunteers.

She led Michelle and Emily over to a small table that looked like a tree stump which had a black box on top. The two girls were amazed by the sight of everything, but one thing stood out. There were gold stars covering the entire ceiling.

Each star had the name of each child who has ever visited Give Kids the World. Michelle and Emily were given their very own stars and they very excitedly wrote their names on them and placed them into a box.

"Close your eyes, girls, and make a wish." The volunteer instructed. The girls did what they were was told and when they opened their eyes again, the star disappeared! All of a sudden, the sound of bells jingling was heard. On a nearby screen, a purple fairy appeared with the girls' stars and with a wave with her wand, she vanished.

"What happened to the stars?" Emily asked.

"The fairy took them and when you go to bed tonight, the stars will magically be placed on the ceiling. You'll get a letter from her in the morning, telling you that your stars are up there and you can come back to see where she put them.

Then, they went to where Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, and other Disney characters were having their pictures taken with other children who were staying in the Village. Soon, it was Michelle and Emily's turn and yet another volunteer took their picture. Danny, Susan, and George took pictures of their daughters as well, and then the whole group decided to get one taken with all of them together.

"Bye guys!" The girls said to the characters, and the group returned to the Villas to rest a few minutes before they headed off to Magic Kingdom.

* * *

At Magic Kingdom, Jesse, Becky, and the twins separated from the rest of the group to go to the kids' rides and Joey went to visit his friend at the animation studio, while everyone else gathered outside Cinderella's Castle.

"Dad can me and Emily go to see Aladdin, please?" asked Michelle.

"Okay, DJ and Stephanie can take you two while Susan, George, and I see what else this park has. Promise me you won't wander away again."

"Okay, I won't."

"I want you girls to keep an on Michelle and Emily. Don't let them out of your sight for even one second." Danny told his two oldest daughters.

"Sure dad." replied DJ.

"You got it." replied Stephanie.

"Emily, I want you to listen to DJ and Stephanie too."

"I promise, Mom."

"Okay, go have fun." George said.

The girls left and Michelle and Emily ran ahead of the older girls.

"Wait up!" DJ called to them and they stopped, allowing her and Stephanie to catch up.

"Emily, look! There is Aladdin. You will love it! The last time I was here, they made me Princess for a day."

"Cool! I would have loved that."

"Yeah. Too bad they don't do it anymore." Michelle informed Emily as they ran up to the lamp. Another child had just rubbed the lamp, without any success getting Genie to come out. Then it was Michelle and Emily's turn. They rubbed the lamp and Genie magically appeared.

"I see you two were the ones who set me free. For that, I grant you and your entire family a free meal at the restaurant of your choice, followed by a free show at the Mickey Mouse Revue theater."

"Yes!" Michelle and Emily shouted excitedly as they danced around in circles. Genie handed the free meal vouchers and theater tickets to Michelle, who handed them to DJ for safekeeping and then the four girls decided they wanted to ride Splash Mountain so they took the train to Frontier land. Because they had the buttons from Make A Wish, they were allowed to the front of the line and on the ride instantly. They rode it six times and went on a few other rides, then they met back up with the rest of the group.

"Hey, girls!" Susan greeted.

"How did it go?" asked Danny, wondering whether or not the girls were well behaved.

"They were good, Dad. Michelle and Emily won free meal vouchers and theater tickets for tonight." DJ said to him.

"Wow! That's Terrific!" Danny exclaimed as Michelle and Emily were whispering something in each other's ears.

"Guys, we were just thinking about something. How about we let DJ pick the restaurant," Michelle started to say.

"and Stephanie can pick out the show." Emily finished for her.

"How thoughtful, girls." Danny and Susan told them. They were amazed by the extent of their little girls' generosity.

"Are you sure, Michelle?"

"Yeah, DJ. Besides, I am tired from today. I think I need to go back to our room and take a nap."

"Me too." Emily agreed.

"Tell you all what. I will take the girls back to the Villas. Why don't you all go have dinner and see your show. We'll probably order in tonight." George suggested.

"Michelle, why are you doing this for us?" asked Stephanie.

"Because we want to."

"Thank you. That is very kind." said Susan. George took Michelle and Emily back to the Village while everyone else went to eat and see the show.

Twenty-five minutes later, George, Michelle, and Emily arrived back at the Village where they ordered pizza and took a nap while George watched ESPN and kept a look out for the others to return.

Everyone returned from the show a little after ten o'clock. By then, it was very late and they were dead tired, so they skipped their showers and baths and went straight to bed.

* * *

Early the next morning, both Emily and Michelle read the letters that they had been waiting for. They hurriedly got dressed and ate breakfast at the Gingerbread House, then they excitedly headed back to the castle. They looked up at the ceiling and with the help of a volunteer, they finally found their star among the rest of them.

"Wow! This is amazing! Dad, take a picture of these, please!" Emily told her father.

"Yes, dear." George snapped a few photos and Danny snapped some as well and they went to get pictures taken with the characters from Nickelodeon.

"Mom, look! There is Doug Funny." Emily said, pointing to him.

"I see him." Susan replied. Emily walked up to Doug and George snapped more photos of Emily, as well as some with her and Susan, her and Michelle, and one with the whole group.

"Daddy, look! It's the Rugrats. Hello Tommy!" Michelle said as she ran to hug Tommy. He returned the hug and everyone got pictures with him as well as Chuckle Finster, Ran and Stamp, Rocco, and the characters from Aaahh! Real Monsters.

* * *

That afternoon, they went to MGM Studios. Joey, DJ, Stephanie, Michelle, and Emily rode the Tower of Terror, then Jesse, Becky, and the twins joined them in the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience attraction, a playground based on the movie _'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids'_.

"Mommy, ants!" Nicky shouted as he pointed to ride-able cars which looked like giant ants.

"Wow!" Becky replied.

"Can we ride them?" asked Alex.

"Sure, boys. Hop on!" Jesse told them as he put the boys on one of the ants. Meanwhile, Joey helped Michelle and Emily go through the spider web or maze and climb the ropes. DJ and Stephanie went through the jumbo maze, though they felt they were a little too old for this attraction.

After they finished exploring the playground, they met back up with the other adults to see the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular!, based on _'Raiders of the Lost Ark'_. Everyone laughed when Michelle volunteered Danny to be cast into the show and the casting director put him on stage as a costumed extra to appear in select scenes throughout the show. Nicky and Alex were fascinated by the pyrotechnic devices the show used and the fake bullets being shot at the characters, DJ and Stephanie enjoyed the action, and the adults enjoyed seeing Danny on stage, while Emily and Michelle enjoyed everything. There was not one thing about this show that they didn't like.

By six o'clock, the children wanted to go back to the Village and get ready for Mayor Clayton's Birthday Party, so Jesse and Becky took them back. Mayor Clayton was the Give Kids the World mascot who was a seven foot tall rabbit dressed in a suit and round framed glasses.

At seven-thirty, they arrived at the party on the Avenue of Angels' House of Hearts Stage. They had a wonderful time, eating plenty of sweets and hanging out with Mayor Clayton, Ms. Merry, who was Mayor Clayton's wife, and other children. When the party ended, the kids took their baths and got ready to go to sleep.

* * *

The rest of their vacation was amazing. On Wednesday, the fifteenth, they ate at Ice Cream Palace, swam in the pool, and went to Epcot. The next day, they had more photos taken with the Disney characters, drove to Sea World Orlando, and attended the Winter Wonderland Festivities complete with Santa Claus, a parade, and carriage rides. Afterwards, they ordered pizza from Ms. Merry's Pizza Kitchen.

On the last full day there, they had photos taken with Universal Studios characters, ate ice cream at Ice Cream Palace, and went back to Magic Kingdom. Later, they ordered cookies and other desserts from the Cookie Cart, and DJ and Stephanie went to Teen Game Night while everyone else attended Ms. Merry's Enchanted Tea Party in the Castle of Miracles, followed by the Pirates and Princesses Party and saw Shamus at the Serendipity Stage.

* * *

Finally their trip had come to an end. Everyone swam one last time, then they checked out of the Villas and drove back to the airport and returned their rental cars, then they checked in and went through security, and headed to the correct gate. Their flight was at three forty-five PM, but the plane was one hour late, and they didn't leave until nearly five o'clock.

"Flight 267, Orlando to San Francisco, now boarding!" came the announcement. They boarded, and arrived back home around eleven PM. The Tanners dropped Emily's family off at their house and went home themselves.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It was like a dream that would never end.

* * *

As Danny tucked Michelle into bed, Michelle wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug.

"Thank you for the trip, Daddy. I love you." She said as she kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you too, my little Princess."


	8. Chapter 8

**Michelle's Journey**

* * *

Chapter 8

* * *

_-December 24, 1995-_

* * *

It was finally Christmas Eve and the Tanners couldn't contain their excitement. Michelle's last MRI two days before had showed that the tumor was still stable and she was feeling great. Christmas music played on the radio as everyone gathered around the tree, decorating it with Christmas ornaments and tinsel, and Michelle's favorite, the star.

Next, they baked and decorated cookies. Some were shaped like trees, others like bells, stars, and candy canes. Michelle especially loved the job of icing them. She couldn't wait for Santa and his reindeer to eat them.

'Maybe this year, he'll leave me some extra presents.' she thought with a grin.

* * *

Later, Michelle put a plate of cookies and a glass of milk on the kitchen table, then the adults wrapped the gifts and stuck them under the tree, then Danny, Jesse, and Joey told Michelle, Nicky, and Alex their favorite Christmas story, '_The Night Before Christmas'_.

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Danny started.

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there." continued Jesse.

"The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads." Joey added. They continued the story, and the children let out a yawn and closed their eyes. By the time they got to the last lines, they were fast asleep.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!" Danny finished as he kissed Michelle goodnight. Jesse and Joey carried Nicky and Alex to their beds and the three men went back downstairs to finish wrapping the gifts.

* * *

The next morning, the children woke up very early, excited to see what Santa Claus had left for them. Michelle hummed _'Joy to the World'_ as she and the twins ran through the house to wake up everyone else.

"Michelle, it's six-thirty in the morning. The sun doesn't rise for another hour. Go back to bed, please." Danny mumbled tiredly.

"But Daddy, it's Christmas!" Danny sighed. His youngest child didn't know when to give up when it came to Christmas mornings. Finally, after ten minutes, he relented and he and Michelle went downstairs. Michelle was thrilled to see that Santa had eaten the milk and cookies and wrote her a letter.

"Have Mercy! Look at all these presents!" They heard Jesse exclaim as he joined them. Becky wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him.

"Merry Christmas, Jess." She told him.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Beck, and Merry Christmas, Boys." he replied, picking the twins up. Michelle knelt in front of the tree as she searched for her presents.

"Michelle, why don't you let me give out the presents, okay Munchkin?" said Jesse.

"Okay Uncle Jesse." Everyone sat down by the tree as Jesse picked up packages one by one.

"These are for Nicky and Alex." He said, handing two heavy rectangular packages to Becky, who gave them to the twins. They tore through the wrapping paper and jumped up and down as they saw what they just got.

"K'NEX!" they shouted and tried to break the yellow cases open. Jesse handed over the next gift, which had Michelle's name on it.

"Here you go, Michelle."

"Thanks!" replied Michelle. _'To Michelle, From Santa' _she read, then she ripped it open and she screamed as she saw what was inside. "Wow! A Sony Playstation! Yes! Can I play it now, Dad?"

"When we're finished, Honey." Danny replied with a chuckle.

After all the gifts were exchanged, Michelle and the twins played with their new toys, DJ and Stephanie checked out DJ's new laptop, complete with America Online, Joey watched the classic Christmas cartoons _'Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer'_, _'Santa Claus is Comin' to Town'_, and_ 'Frosty the Snowman'_, and Jesse and Becky went into the kitchen to help Danny prepare breakfast.

They had pre-made a breakfast casserole with eggs, breakfast sausage, milk, mustard powder, salt, cubed up bread, chopped apples, and cheese and let it sit overnight before they baked it. An hour and a half later, they put the food on the table and everyone came in to eat. They devoured the whole meal and complemented that it was the best Christmas breakfast they'd eaten in a long time.

When the breakfast dishes were cleaned up, Danny, with the help of DJ, prepared the turkey and put it in the oven.

They laughed as they talked about the turkey incident on Thanksgiving of 1987, only months after Pam passed away, when the turkey was still frozen and ended up burning and turning black. This was something they'd never forget. They couldn't believe it has been eight years since then.

* * *

That evening, Nick and Irene Katsopolis arrived and they exchanged gifts and hugs.

"Merry Christmas, kids." said Nick as he gave each grandchild a small box containing gift cards for his or her favorite stores.

"These are from both of us." added Irene.

"Thank you Grandma and Grandpa." Nicky and Alex said.

"Thanks." DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle replied.

"You're welcome."

The grandparents gave the adults their gifts as well and they sang Christmas carols as they waited for dinner to be ready.

"Jingle bells, Batman smells.

Robin laid an egg,

Bat Mobile lost its wheel,

And Joker took ballet!" Nick sang. The twins laughed and giggled at his silliness, but Irene shot him a stern look.

"Can we please sing it right, huh?" Irene was laughing deep inside though. She thought it really was pretty funny, but she wanted to set a good example for Nicky and Alex. They were only four years old and still repeated things from others, nice or not.

"Okay, okay." They sang _'Jingle Bells'_ again, but this time, they sang the lyrics correctly.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells,

Jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh." They sang a few more songs, until Danny called them for dinner.

* * *

_-January 2, 1996-_

The rest of the Christmas holiday passed by uneventfully and Michelle returned to school. She met up with her friends in the school yard during recess and they talked about what they did during their vacation. Like Michelle, Emily's tumor had remained stable and she and her parents had gone to Vermont, where her grandparents lived. Lisa and Derek went caroling together and spent time at home with their families, Denise and her family went to New York and went ice skating at Rockefeller Center, Aaron and his family went to Lake Tahoe to go skiing, and Teddy's family went to Disneyland.

"Guys, want to come over after school?" asked Michelle.

"Sure, count me in." replied Denise.

"We're in too." Teddy answered.

"Us too." Lisa answered for Aaron, Derek, and herself.

"Yeah. I was going to come over anyway, since my mom and dad are working late." Emily added.

"Cool!" Michelle exclaimed.

"Yeah, it is. Oh, I have gifts for you guys." Emily announced. "I'll give them to you after school."

"I have gifts for the all of you too."

"Thanks Michelle." They replied.

"My pleasure!"

"Any of you want to play freeze tag?" Denise asked.

"Okay." said Michelle.

"I'll play too." Emily said. The group played until the bell rang, signaling that it was time for them to go back to class.

"Wow, that was a good game. I am bushed!"

"Are you okay Michelle?" Lisa asked her, concerned at her friend being so tired. She knew that the treatments Michelle was going through wiped her out at times, but she couldn't help but worry.

"I'm fine. You don't need to worry so much."

"Okay. How about you, Emily?" Teddy asked.

"I'm a little tired too, but not much." Emily replied as they walked to their class.

After school, Michelle and her friends rode the school bus to Michelle's house where they exchanged gifts and did their homework. Michelle struggled a bit with her math due to the radiation and chemo which could cause learning issues, but Lisa, who was good at math, showed her how to work out the problems and the group finished their homework. Then, they went into the living room and took turns playing with Michelle's new video game system.

* * *

_-January 15-_

Michelle awakened that morning to Comet licking her on her face.

"Okay, Boy. I'm up." Comet got excited and jumped up on her bed. "Down, Comet!" The Golden Retriever obeyed as Michelle got out of bed and got herself dressed and went downstairs. As she neared the stairs, she felt a throbbing pain throughout her head. Thankfully, it was Martin Luther King day, which meant school was closed, so she had plenty of time to rest after she took some medicine, or so she thought.

"Daddy, my head is hurting again. Can you get me some medicine."

"Michelle come with me, sweetheart." He told her as he led her up to the bathroom where he kept all the medications. Danny got the pills that her Doctor had prescribed for her at the time of her diagnosis. He read the directions which said _'Take one tablet every 8 hours, as needed, with a full glass of water.'_ and handed her a pill. Michelle washed the pill down with two Dixie cups of water, then she glanced in the mirror and was alarmed by what she saw.

"Daddy, my eyes are crossing."

"Michelle, get in the car. I am taking you to get checked out right now."

"Dad, I don't want to go back to the hospital. I'm just tired. That's why they're crossing and I have a headache."

"You're going. End of story!" Michelle sighed and did as she was told and Danny followed not far behind.

"Danny, what's going on? Michelle looked really upset." Jesse informed him.

"Michelle's headaches and crossed eyes are back. I'm taking her to the hospital. Jess, can you drive us? I'd like to sit in the back seat with her."

"Sure, Daniel. Joey, Becky, I'll be back soon." He yelled as the two men walked out to Danny's car.

* * *

At the hospital, Michelle was taken to Radiology and she had an emergency MRI. A couple hours later, the scan confirmed everyone's worst fear.

"Mr. Tanner?" The Doctor called as he walked into Michelle's room.

"What is it?"

"I regret to inform you that the tumor has started growing again."

"Is there anything you can do to shrink it again?" Jesse inquired. He couldn't believe what he had just heard and refused to give up and just let his niece die.

"Nothing I can do, but a colleague of mine at Children's Hospital of Orange County is doing a clinical trial for Michelle's type of tumor. I can speak with him today and send him a copy of her scans if you'd like and I'll get back to you."

"Yeah, that's fine. Thanks Doc." Danny said.

"No problem. Just have your nurse Jillian page me if you need me."

* * *

Two days later, Michelle was feeling better and she was sent home with instructions to keep taking the pills if she felt sick again, as well as a prescription for a refill of Zofran. She was still tired, so Danny helped her upstairs so she could take a nap, then he went back down to the kitchen to check the answering machine to see if the Oncologist from CHOC had contacted him. He listened intently to the messages, and when he heard the message he was waiting for, he called back at the number that was provided.

"Hello? Dr. Carter speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hello. This is Daniel Tanner, Michelle Tanner's father. I am just calling you back in response to your message on my answering machine."

"Oh, thank you for calling back so soon. I received Michelle's scans from Dr. Jackson and I looked over them. I don't think she has the type of tumor that this trial is for."

"Really?"

"No, it appears that she doesn't have a DIPG tumor as we originally thought. Some things don't quite fit, but there is another trial that she might be eligible for if you're interested."

"Yes, I'm interested. What do we do?" Dr. Carter explained that Danny would have to drive Michelle to LA to meet with him and undergo more tests, then Michelle would have surgery to biopsy the tumor, followed by a new combination of drugs and more radiation, and that they should plan on staying close to the hospital for at least three months. Danny told him he would talk it over with Michelle and hung up the phone.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jesse and Becky were in their attic apartment. The twins were napping and Jesse waited on the couch, reading a car magazine as he waited for his wife to come out of the bathroom.

"Hey, Beck, are you alright?" He asked her with a concerned voice. Becky had been throwing up for the last week and was craving some of the strangest food combinations, ranging from Cheetos and sour cream to pickles and ice cream.

"Honey, I need to tell you something."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I'm pregnant." She said.

"P...Pr...Pregnant?"

"Yes. We're having another baby!"

"Oh, my god! I can't believe this. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am." Jesse's mouth went wide with shock, but he was thrilled to be a father again.

"Have mercy!" He exclaimed and he wrapped one arm around her waist and placed the other hand on her belly. Then they kissed passionately and began to make out. Little did they know, two pairs of eyes had caught them in the act.

"Have mercy!" one of the twins yelled, and both covered their eyes in embarrassment.

"Oh god!" shouted Becky, pulling away as she realized they were being watched.

"We're sorry Mommy." Nicky and Alex said in unison

"It's okay, guys." Jesse said to them, and they went back to their room to play with their toys, allowing their parents a little more time to themselves.

* * *

Early the next morning, Danny and Michelle got up and began the six and a half hour drive to Los Angeles. They stopped for food and gas along the way and when they arrived at CHOC, they were greeted by Dr. Carter and his team.

"Hello. Nice to meet you, Michelle. I'm Dr. Carter and I am the one who's in charge of your new treatments."

"Nice to meet you too." replied Michelle, a bit shyly. She shook his hand and he led them into his office to discuss the treatment plan. Afterward, Dr. Carter scheduled Michelle for surgery, which was just a week away, and Danny took Michelle across the street to the Ronald McDonald House, where they would be living for the next eight weeks, until she completed radiation and her first cycle of chemo. Michelle was homesick already and wanted to go back to San Francisco, but her father reassured her that she could call and write her friends and family anytime she wished.

"Dad, will I lose my hair?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. You didn't lose it the first time, so there's a chance you might not lose it this time either, but if you do, I'll buy you a wig or some hats."

"Okay, thanks Dad. Oh, can I go see if there are any other kids I can play with, please?"

"Later, Michelle. You have plenty of time to make more friends, but for now, why don't you start unpacking your things and putting them where they go."

"But Daddy!"

"Michelle, I said you can check later."

"Yes Dad." As Michelle started to unpack and put all her clothes in the dresser, there was a knock on the front door. She ran out of the room to see who it was.

"Yes?" Danny said as he answered it.

"Hi, I'm Kathy Whitfield. I live across the hall with my daughter Allie." The woman said in a slight Australian accent.

Kathy was a petite woman in her late thirties with light brown hair and blue eyes. Allie was nearly the same height as her mother, but unlike her mother whose hair was curly, hers was wavy, but starting to fall out from chemo, and she had brown eyes. The Whitfield's were from a small town in Australia. Allie had been diagnosed with Neuroblastoma at age five, relapsed at age seven, and remained in remission until two months ago, until routine testing revealed that her cancer was back. She and her mother had come to America for a promising new treatment that was unavailable in their home country.

"Hi, I am Daniel Tanner and this is my little girl Michelle."

"Hi Allie."

"Hi Michelle." Allie greeted back.

"How old are you?"

"I'm eleven. How about you?"

"Nine."

"Hey, do you want some help unpacking?"

"Sure, let's go!" said Michelle as the two girls ran to Michelle's room.

"Mr. Tanner, if it isn't too much trouble, would it be alright to stop by later and make you and Michelle dinner?" Kathy offered.

"Thanks Kathy, but Michelle is a little picky."

"Same with Allie. She hasn't had much of an appetite lately."

"Do you mind if I help you?"

"I appreciate it, but no thanks. You must be tired from your trip. Where are you from anyway?"

"We're from the San Francisco Bay area in Northern California, and it's no problem. I am not that tired."

"Well, okay. We'll be over at six. Come on, Allie! We gotta go." Kathy called to her daughter and the two of them went back to their own room, leaving Danny and Michelle a with couple hours to themselves to settle in.


	9. Chapter 9

**Michelle's Journey**

* * *

Chapter 9

* * *

_-January 26-_

The day of Michelle's surgery was finally here. She and Danny arrived at Children's Hospital Orange County and registered, then a nurse escorted them to Michelle's room while Dr. Carter prepared for the operation.

Many surgeons wouldn't risk removing a tumor on the brain stem due to its location and the delicate and complex functions that area of the brain controlled, but Dr. Carter refused to give up. He wanted to give his patients the best possible care he could. He was confident that he could remove most of the tumor and preserve Michelle's brain function.

"Daddy, I'm scared. I don't think I can go through with the surgery." Michelle admitted. "What if I feel them cutting out the tumor, or I don't wake up again?"

"It's okay to be scared, Princess. You'll be fine. A nurse is going to give you a special mask so you don't feel anything, and you'll wake up again when it's over." said Danny, doing his best to reassure her.

"Okay. I'll do it." She was still scared, but her father's words made her feel better.

* * *

An hour later, a nurse with long dark brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, and lightly tanned skin came in to take her to the operating room.

"Hi Michelle. My name is Laura and I'm here to take you for your operation."

"Hi. Are you gonna put me to sleep too?" Laura nodded.

"Yes, I am. I'll give you a mask that has a really awesome scent and that will make you sleep and not feel any pain."

"What kinds of scents do the masks have?"

"We have cherry, strawberry, bubblegum, orange, watermelon, and grape. Which kind do you want?"

"Bubblegum!"

"That's an excellent choice." Laura put up the rails on the sides of the bed and a few minutes later, she wheeled the nine-year-old into the OR and put the bubblegum scented mask over her nose and mouth until she fell asleep.

Dr. Carter began the procedure at seven-ten AM, cutting his way through her skull and brain until he located the tumor, which appeared to be growing out from the brain stem, and began to excise it carefully.

Ten hours later, the tumor was removed and sent to the Pathology Lab. Dr. Carter stitched her up and moved her into the PICU, then he went out to the waiting room to give a very worried Danny an update.

"Michelle did wonderfully. I was able to remove about eighty-five percent of the tumor. The rest was stuck to the brain stem so it was safer for me to leave it alone, but hopefully radiation and chemotherapy will shrink it."

"Thank you, Dr. Carter. May I see her?" asked Danny, relieved that she had made it.

"Yeah, sure. As soon as the PICU nurses get her situated, you can see her." The two men shook hands and Danny walked over to the PICU and watched through the window as Michelle lay asleep on her bed, connected to many tubes and wires, with machines beeping continuously.

* * *

_-January 29-_

Three days passed since the surgery, and Michelle was awake and doing well. She was watching cartoons when Dr. Carter entered the PICU.

"Mr. Tanner, I have the pathology results on the tumor." he announced.

"What is it?" questioned Danny.

"My prediction was confirmed. Michelle has a Grade III Astrocytoma, or Anaplastic Astrocytoma.

"How are you going to treat it."

"Well, when she is two weeks post surgery, she will start six weeks of radiation. She starts on February twelfth, five days a week, ten to fifteen minutes each session. Chemotherapy is done in six cycles over the next year, which is one cycle every six weeks." He continued to explain the treatment plan to Danny, who wrote down the information he was given onto a yellow legal pad.

Michelle's chemotherapy would consist of three drugs: CCNU, a capsule which would be taken on day one of each cycle, IV Vincristine on days eight and twenty-nine, and another capsule, Procarbazine, which would be taken on days eight through twenty-one. Dr. Carter also explained that the CCNU and Procarbazine could be taken at home, while she would receive the Vincristine in the hospital and be allowed to go back home between doses.

"When can I leave the hospital?" Michelle asked. CHOC was a nice place for children and had a kind, compassionate staff, but she was growing bored and missed being at home with her family and friends.

"You'll be out of the PICU tomorrow and moved to a regular room, then if all goes well, you'll be out of here at the end of this week."

"Okay." Michelle was bummed by this answer, but she was glad she didn't have to stay too much longer.

* * *

_-February 2-_

A week after Michelle's surgery, she was about to be released to the Ronald McDonald House. She was feeling great, with the exception of weakness in her right hand and minor balance problems. With therapy though, there was a chance she could regain her strength.

"Okay, Michelle, you're free to go." Dr. Carter told her. She wanted to jump for joy, but she knew she had to take it easy.

"Yay! Thank you for cutting out my tumor, Dr. Carter." she replied politely. She and Danny were grateful to him for saving her life.

"You're welcome."

Danny signed the discharge papers and handed them back to the Doctor. Michelle was overexcited and couldn't wait to leave, so she grabbed Danny's hand and pulled it, as if she was telling him to hurry up.

"Okay, let's go, Michelle." he said.

"Bye!" Michelle called to Dr. Carter as they walked out to the hallway.

"Bye, Michelle. I'll see you again on the twelfth."

Danny and Michelle left the hospital and went to the Ronald McDonald House.

* * *

Meanwhile, Becky and Jesse were in the kitchen having a talk as they cooked lunch. Joey and the twins were playing with Play Dough at the table, while DJ and Stephanie were at school. Becky was two months pregnant now. Her appointment that morning had gone perfectly and she and the baby were healthy, despite Becky having more morning sickness than she did the first time, but Jesse was supportive and helped out any way he could.

"Becky, with this baby coming, we will have to get a house of our own. The baby will need its own room and the boys need a bigger room too." Jesse told her.

"You're right. How about we go house hunting around the neighborhood?"

"Okay Becky. Oh, Danny just called." Jesse said, still holding the phone. "He says that Michelle is doing good and she will start chemo and radiation again soon. They'll be home in early March if all goes well."

"That's good. I'm glad she is doing better." replied Becky.

"So am I. But Joey or I should have gone with him to help. I worry about Danny. He hasn't slept much since Michelle got sick again."

"I know how you feel. If you need to go down to LA, I think you should."

"I don't know, Beck. I don't want to leave you or the boys for too long."

"Jesse, I can handle things here. I can still host _'Wake Up, San Francisco' _and care for the boys and Joey and the girls can help out. Why don't you go help Danny with Michelle? He can't do this alone. If he keeps going at this rate, he'll crash."

"Beck, what about the baby?"

"Jess, this baby won't come for a long time. Now please call Danny back and tell him you'll will be there to help him"

"Are you sure?"

"This is our niece we are talking about, so yes."

"Okay, then I'll go, then I'll come back on the weekends and spend them with you guys."

"Good." Becky gave him a kiss and went over to the twins and kissed them too, then she sat and played with them as Jesse called Danny back.

* * *

At Frasier Street Elementary, Michelle's friends were at lunch, eating their sandwiches or Lunchables and talking about Michelle.

"I wonder how Michelle's doing." Emily said. "I heard she had her operation, but I haven't heard from her in a couple days."

"How about you ask her family for her number at the place she's staying so you can call her?" Derek suggested.

"I second that." Lisa chimed in.

"Good idea. I'll do that."

"I'll call her too, Emily." Denise said in agreement.

"Me too." Aaron added.

"Me three." said Teddy.

The bell rang a few minutes later and the students walked back to their class.


	10. Chapter 10

**Michelle's Journey**

* * *

Chapter 10

* * *

_-February 6-_

It's been three days since Jesse arrived at the Ronald McDonald House and he was trying to convince his brother-in-law to go home and relax.

"Danny, tell you what. Why don't you pack and then go home and rest. I can handle things here."

"Uncle Jesse!" Michelle called as she tried running toward him, but she felt a little unsteady and started to fall.

"Danny, what's happening to Michelle?" Jesse asked, feeling very concerned about his niece as he sat her on the couch next to him.

"It's a side effect of the surgery, but she is getting therapy to help get the balance back in her legs and strength in her right hand."

"Is she gonna be okay?"

"Dr. Carter is doing the best he can to help her. She'll be running and using her right hand again in no time." Danny replied.

"I'm here to help too. I don't mean to be rude, but have you looked in a mirror lately? You look like shit."

"Jess, I am fine, but I appreciate the help."

"Danny, like I told you on the phone, I'll take care of her for this the rest of the week while you go home and rest and spend time with the family, and then we'll switch off again on Friday."

"Thanks, but what if something happens to Michelle while I'm gone?"

"I can handle it. The hospital is close by, so if it's an emergency, I'll take her there."

"Okay. I'll get some sleep today and leave tonight then."

"Sounds good to me." Danny went to his room to rest as Jesse helped Michelle get ready. Jesse took her to his car and they drove to Taco Bell and the Santa Ana Zoo.

The drive to the zoo took about twenty minutes, and he parked the car and paid the admission prices, then they visited the animals. The zoo was nearly empty, as the local children were in school and most adults were working, almost giving them the whole place to themselves.

"Can we go to the petting zoo?" asked Michelle.

"Sure, Munchkin." They walked over to the petting zoo and her eyes lit up as she saw the goats and sheep come over to her and lick her hands.

"Hi guys! No, I don't have any food on me. I'm sorry. Uncle Jesse, do you have any quarters for the food machine so I can feed them?" Jesse reached into his pocket and pulled out some change.

"Here. I don't know what's there, but if you find a few quarters, take them." Michelle found three quarters and walked as quickly as her balance allowed until she got to the food dispenser and put the first quarter in. She laughed as almost all of the animals ran toward her and tried to get their share of the food.

"Guys, don't fight. I'll get more." She put in the other two quarters and put as much food as she could in her hands and they gobbled it up, then she got the rest of it and they ate until she ran out of food and licked her hands clean.

She played with the animals a few more minutes, but she grew tired and needed to rest, so Jesse took her to wash her hands and they looked for a bench to sit on.

"Would you like a drink?" Jesse asked her.

"Yes, please. Do they have Coca-Cola?"

"I'll go check. You stay right there, kiddo. You hear me?"

"Yeah." answered Michelle. She sat on the bench as she was told as her uncle went to the vending machines and bought the soda. He came back five minutes later and handed her a bottle of Coke. He opened his own Coke and took a big sip.

"Thanks Uncle Jesse. I'm having a great day."

"I'm glad. I'm having a great day too." They gave each other a hug and sat on the bench, sipping their sodas.

* * *

_-February 8-_

Danny walked into Stephanie's room that morning around ten o'clock, wanting to make it up to her for not doing anything on her birthday. She had turned fourteen on January fourteenth, but as Michelle became sick again, he was forced to reschedule. Stephanie had told him she understood, but he still couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Hey Steph, wake up!" he said as he gently shook her until she woke up.

"Hey Dad." she said sleepily, sitting up in her bed. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to take you and DJ to the mall for your birthdays."

"But Dad, my birthday was last month. You don't have to worry about it."

"I know, but I still want to make it up to you. Since Michelle got sick, I haven't been able to spend much time with you or DJ. So, what do you say?"

"Okay. I'll come."

"Good. Go wake DJ if she isn't up already and both of you meet me downstairs." Danny went downstairs to wait for his daughters while Stephanie went into DJ's room.

"DJ! Deej, wake up."

"Steph, what is going on?" DJ asked.

"Dad's taking us to the mall."

"Okay, but I'll drive if he lets me. He needs a break. I mean he's been so busy taking care of Michelle since she first became sick last summer."

"Yeah, I know. Tell me about it. I miss Michelle so much. I wanted to tell him to relax too, and that I don't really care about my birthday anymore, but I didn't tell him because I didn't want to hurt his feelings." Stephanie replied as the two sisters got themselves ready. "All I want is for Michelle to come home to us."

"Same here, Stephanie, and you're right. We could never tell him that. Come on, let's go." The girls went downstairs and saw their father dusting the coffee table.

"Dad, we're ready." Stephanie said, getting his attention.

"Okay." said Danny as he grabbed his keys.

"Dad, you've been very busy lately and you look exhausted. Why don't you let me drive?" DJ offered.

"Sure, Deej." He handed her the keys and they walked out to his car. DJ took over the driver's seat, while Danny sat in the front passenger seat, and Stephanie was in the back, and the three of them drove to the mall.

* * *

Danny, DJ, and Stephanie went through nearly all the stores and had at least fifteen shopping bags between them and they decided to stop in one more store: Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Danny bought new hand towels for the kitchen and DJ and Stephanie bought some lotions and bath salts, then they walked around the store just to look around. As they turned to go to the section that had curtains for the living room and bed rooms, something, or some_one_ caught the girls' eyes.

"Is that who I think it is?" Stephanie asked, whispering in DJ's ear.

"Yeah, I think it _is_ her." DJ said. "Hey, Vicky!" A certain curly auburn haired woman turned around to see who was calling her name and was surprised to see Danny and his two older daughters.

"Hi, girls!" Vicky greeted as she came over to them, carrying a basket of interior designing supplies. "Hey Danny."

"Uh, hi." Danny replied, his eyes and mouth wide with shock. "Vicky, what brings you back to San Francisco?"

"Well, I received an offer to anchor the Channel 8 News here and I decided to take it, so here I am!"

"How long have you been back?" Stephanie inquired.

"I just got back last week." Vicky told them. "How have things been?"

"Busy." Danny replied.

"Same here."

"Girls, can you please give us a minute alone?" asked Danny, wanting to ask Vicky something privately.

"Sure, Dad. Come on, Steph." DJ said, and she and Stephanie walked away and hid in another aisle, watching as their father talked to his former fiancée.

"Vicky, do you have any plans tonight?"

"No, Danny. I don't. Why?"

"We're celebrating DJ and Steph's birthdays tonight at the house and I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner and we can catch up." he invited.

"Sure."

"Great! Dinner is at six."

"Sounds good. I'll see you then!"

"Fantastic!"

"Well, I have to go. It was nice seeing you again."

"It was nice seeing you too, Vicky."

'All right, Dad!' Stephanie thought as Danny made his way toward her and DJ. They paid for their things and walked back to the parking lot.

* * *

_-Evening-_

"So, Vicky is coming for dinner, eh?" Becky asked as she was stirring up a pot of steamed vegetables and slicing up bread.

"Yes, she is. It feels strange though. It's been a little over two years since we broke up." responded Danny nervously as he dashed over to the sink to drain the extra large pot of spaghetti. Then he opened the oven to check on the chicken parmigiana. It wasn't done yet, but it was close, he thought.

"Relax, Danny! It's just dinner, not a date." Becky put a reassuring hand on his upper back and gave him a smile.

"You're right." he agreed as they put the finishing touches on the meal and set the table. As he folded the napkins and placed them next to the plates, he glanced up to notice that Becky was deep in thought about something.

"Beck, are you okay? What is it you're thinking about?" he asked, his eyes and voice filled with concern.

"Well, Jesse and I have been thinking. With another baby coming soon, we are thinking of moving out."

"Are you sure?"

"The boys are getting bigger and the baby will need his or her own space. We love living here, but we feel that we may have outgrown the attic."

"Whatever you decide, I support you. Have you figured out where you're going to live?"

"We've been going through real estate brochures and did some house hunting. We're still gonna live in the same neighborhood and that way, we can visit any time."

"That's wonderful! I'm very happy for you."

"Oh dear! Nicky and Alex might not take this very well though. Or Michelle."

"That's understandable. They've lived here their whole lives. Who can blame them?"

They finished setting the table and Vicky and the girls' friends, Kimmy, Steve, and Gia arrived a few minutes later, just in time for dinner.

"DJ, Stephanie, dinner's ready!" Danny called for his two oldest daughters.

"Okay Dad, we're coming!" DJ called back as the girls came into the kitchen. Everyone came out of their hiding places and shouted 'Surprise!'

"Happy birthday, DJ and Stephanie!"

"Thanks, guys." DJ said. "Vicky, it's nice to see you made it."

"I'm glad to see you again too. Thanks for inviting me, Danny."

"You're welcome." The group sat down at the table and chatted as they enjoyed the meal.

"Where are Michelle and Jesse?" Vicky wondered. "I didn't see them when I got here."

"It's a long story. I'll tell you after we cut the cake." Danny answered.

"Sure."

When they finished eating dinner, Danny took two cakes out of the fridge and set them on the table. Everyone sang 'Happy Birthday', then DJ and Stephanie both blow out their candles and made their wishes.

* * *

After Danny cleaned the dinner dishes, he and Vicky went out to the porch to talk.

"So, how have you guys been since we were last together?" Vicky inquired.

"Well, we all missed you a lot. Actually, I had a very difficult time moving on. I wondered how I'd ever live without you." Danny admitted.

"I was the same way." She agreed. "It was like my heart had broken into a million pieces."

"Really?" He asked as he pulled a rag out of his pocket and began dusting the glider.

"Danny, you're cleaning the glider? Are you alright? You seem stressed."

"I guess cleaning compulsively is my way of dealing with everything that's happened. Mom and Dad fighting all the time, their divorce, Pam's death, us breaking up, and now Michelle being sick." He explained to her about Michelle having a brain tumor, receiving treatment in LA, and how everyone was coping.

"I'm very sorry to hear that Michelle is sick. If there's anything I can do, just let me know and I'll be there."

"Thank you."

"No problem. You know, you should see a psychiatrist about this. It seems that your OCD is caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder stemming from all this stress you endured throughout your life. Maybe you can get some therapy or medication to help you."

"Okay, I'll look into it."

"Okay. I'll even go with you if you'd like. I've been dealing with a lot as well and I feel that if we support each other, we'll get through it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Danny, let me tell you something. I was scared about marrying you and becoming the girls' step-mom, plus the promotion. I was conflicted. I didn't know what to do. It all happened so quickly and I was overwhelmed, so I ran." she confided.

"Vicky, you didn't have to move and take that job without thinking about it first. I would have understood how you felt if you had just talked to me. The girls loved having you around and you would have been a great mother to them and a great wife."

"Yeah, I missed being here. I loved you guys too, and I still do, very much. I couldn't stop thinking of you or the girls, and I couldn't live without you anymore, so I came back."

"Does that mean you're ready to give us another chance?" he asked her. Tears spilled from her eyes, and she nodded her head.

"Yes." He wiped the tears that fell from her eyes and they sat on the glider in each other's arms as they looked up at the stars.

* * *

_Thanks to SN1963 for the help with the Danny/Vicky scene._


End file.
